Encomium
Ahead of his 60th birthday on Saturday, September 27, 2014, Bishop David Oyedepo has completed the first phase of his N250 billion Africa’s biggest housing estate. ENCOMIUM Weekly’s check revealed that the billionaire clergy, who has been working on the project at the end of Cannanland, Ota, Ogun state far away from the prying eyes of the public since 2012, has completed the first phase.
An insider squealed to us that construction had been concluded on the first phase leaving just finishing touches.
A reliable source who is also one of the local contractors engaged by the wealthy bishop squealed to us that over 100 buildings have been completed already.
The type F is the three bedroom flat of N4.9 million and several structures of type D, semi detached duplex at N24.24 million are underway. According to our source, the estate gate is behind the university.
We gathered that over 5000 local contractors and builders are employed, while many engineers both local and international are all working round the clock to ensure things go on smoothly.
“The project has been going on silently but the bishop is not sparing anything to ensure the project ends on time. It’s massive. There are many contractors, builders and engineers at work here. It’s like a city on its own. Some have been completed but the next phase is ongoing. Some have reached window level, while others are at the foundation level. The instruction given to us by bishop is to continue nonstop as all resources needed are on ground. The local contractors are church members who had submitted their quotations years back. Due to the massive nature of the work, other contractors are engaged but with a reference from a church member. In fact, we are building it very fast.”
One of the contractors who helped us with picture of one of the completed structures revealed that they been painted already.
We reliably gathered that the housing estate was primarily handled by a Malaysian company known as Affcom Success Sendiran Berhad.
One of the anointed leaders of pentecostal churches in Nigeria, who will never stop springing surprises, is the head of Living Faith World Outreach, a.k.a Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, who, years back led the pack of churches with private universities with world class Covenant University, which boasts of architectural masterpiece buildings. He has since established another called Landmark University in his hometown of Omu Aran, Kwara State. The sprawling Winners Chapel headquarters in Ota, Ogun state, which can sit 50,000 worshippers at a time was also another first from the sophisticated pastor.
The latest surprise from the celebrated man of God is the construction of a N250 billion housing estate in a vast 5,000 acres of land in Ota, Ogun State. The architect-turned pastor was reported to have said the housing estate, which will be largely occupied by the faithful of Winners Chapel, who throng the Ota headquarters of the church weekly for worship services.
The estates come in types. Type A known as Villa and it’s from N4.5 million. Each unit of this will have a garden, personified bungalow at its finest. It’s where luxury meets affordability and desires are met. It would be a home for perfect retreat for peace and harmony.
The Type B is called, Detached Duplex and it’s from N 37.1 million, and is designed with the concept of space, practicality and movement. “Truly, a work of art nested in a low-density of boutique duplex to give a sanctuary built to evoke tranquility and at one with nature,” said our source.
Type C is Semi-detached Duplex. It has a price range of N24.2 million, and is designed with the concept of space, practicality and movement.
Duplex Terrace is the Type D. This goes for N15.2 million each. This unique double storey terrace house consists four bedrooms, an inter-locking space of living and dining area which create dynamic and spacious feeling, with separate airy kitchen and drying yard. The façade of the house is treated with clean straight lines. The distinctive porch for two cars provides an undulating flow through the overall development.
Type E is Luxury Apartment, and buyers must be ready to part with at least N 24.6 million. This is an integrated modern life style with modern living and with essential facilities.
Type F is known as Standard Apartment and it goes for N 8.2 million and is introducing park setting home designed with the concept of space, practicality and movement.
Affordable Apartment is the name of Type G and it is worth N 4.9 million. This is an apartment with encouraging community living designed with the concept of safe and practical with central open space playground.
Investigations revealed that the land for the 15,000 residential estate was acquired by the church few years back and it’s an 8000 acres of land that will stretch from Ota to parts of Sango that leads to Lagos state. Resources for the construction of the estate are said to be on ground as the man of God always finds a way around his pet projects.
“Bishop is passionate about this project just like others before it. He doesn’t believe that anything is impossible. You may be looking at the cost that it is much, but Daddy will source it. He has done it before. He believes that as a child of God, you must be ready to move mountains. The estate is a progressive project, people come from far places to attend service in the church, so it would be better to accommodate them here and it would be easy for them to come for services,” said a source.
An observer, however, faulted the high cost of the buildings in the proposed estate. The fellow, who preferred anonymity, said the prices of the buildings show they are for the rich. He added that churches should consider the poor whenever they embark on such projects since Jesus Christ took care of the poor.
All the same, Bishop Oyedepo has continued to show that he is a different kind of cleric who thinks big and does big things, no matter the odds. And with the proposed estate, the world is about to see another side of the renowned cleric.
David Olaniyan Oyedepo was born on September 27, 1954 in Osogbo, Osun State to Ibrahim Oyedepo a Muslim healer and native of Omu-Aran and Dorcas, a member of the Eternal Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement (C&S) also from Kwara State.
Dr. Oyedepo is the President of Living Faith Church Worldwide Inc. Living Faith Church has network all over Nigeria and most nations of Africa. He is the founder and Chancellor of Covenant University, Landmark University, Faith Academy and Kingdom Heritage Schools. David Oyedepo is the Chairman/Publisher of the Dominion Publishing House.
David Oyedepo is the Senior Pastor of the 50,000 capacity Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria reputed to be the largest church auditorium in the world by the Guinness Book of Record.
He grew up in Osogbo with his grandmother who taught him the virtues of Christian life. And he became born-again in 1969, through the influence of his teacher, Betty Lasher. He later obtained a Ph.D. in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, United States.
David Oyedepo studied Architecture at the Kwara State Polytechnic and later worked with the Federal Ministry of Housing before he resigned to concentrate on missionary work.
